2013 Oscar Nominees: What ‘Her’ Means for Time Warner Inc.

Whether you call it sci-fi or a quirky love story, there's no denying the artistic appeal of five-time nominee Her. Commercial appeal, on the other hand, has proven to be more elusive for distributor Time Warner (NYSE: TWX) , says Fool contributor Tim Beyers in the following video.

Starring Joaquin Phoenix as a writer who falls for an intelligent software system that caters to every whim, Box Office Mojo places Her primarily in the "Romantic Comedy-Fantasy" category alongside such films as Walt Disney's Splash (1984), Paramount's Down to Earth (2001), and Warner's Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009). Yet unlike those films, Her is a potential Oscar winner in the following categories:

Best Picture

Best Original Screenplay (Spike Jonze)

Achievement in Art Direction

Best Original Score

Best Original Song ("The Moon Song" by Karen O and Spike Jonze)

Curious moviegoers showed up to see the film behind the buzz. Her earned 56.6% of its $24.1 million U.S. box office haul following its nomination to the "Best Picture" list. Worldwide, the film ended a 10-week box office run having earned $30.3 million in grosses.

A decent run, Tim says, but also nowhere near enough. Warner spent an estimated $23 million to produce this contender. Figure another $23 million for marketing and distribution and Her needed at least $46 million in gross profit to break box office even. Instead, the film appears to have generated just $15.15 million for Warner after accounting for cinemas' 50% cut. Profitability is probably too far off for even a long-shot Best Picture win to make a difference.

Now it's your turn to weigh in. How do you rate Her's chances at the Oscars? Did you see the film? Please watch the video to get Tim's full take and then leave a comment to let us know where you stand, and whether you would buy, sell, or short Time Warner stock at current prices.

The next step for youWant to profit on business analysis like this? The key for your future is to turn business insights into portfolio gold through smart and steady investing ... starting right now. Those who wait on the sidelines are missing out on huge gains and putting their financial futures in jeopardy. The Motley Fool is offering a new special report, an essential guide to investing, which includes access to top stocks to buy now. Click here to get your copy today -- it's absolutely free.

Comments from our Foolish Readers

Help us keep this a respectfully Foolish area! This is a place for our readers to discuss, debate, and learn more about the Foolish investing topic you read about above. Help us keep it clean and safe. If you believe a comment is abusive or otherwise violates our Fool's Rules, please report it via the Report this Comment icon found on every comment.